There is a steering apparatus in which an outer column and an inner column are engaged with each other so as to be relatively slidable in an axial direction, such that the telescopic position of a steering wheel is adjusted or an impact load during second collision is absorbed. In such a steering apparatus, the outer circumference of the inner column is tightened by the inner circumference of the outer column by shrinking the diameter of the outer column having a slit, thereby clamping the inner column such that the inner column cannot move in the axial direction relative to the outer column in the axial direction (see, e.g., Patent Document 1).
However, in a steering apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, one end of a slit is open at an end face of an outer column. Therefore, in accordance with the telescopic position of a steering wheel, a distance between a closed end portion of the other end of the slit and the tightening position of the outer column changes. Accordingly, even when an operating lever is operated with the same force, the tightening force of the outer column tightening an inner column changes depending the telescopic position of the steering wheel.
In a steering apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, an inner column is directly clamped by a distance bracket, such that the tightening force of an outer column tightening the inner column does not change depending on the telescopic position of a steering wheel.
However, in the steering apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, two distance brackets are provided, the outer circumference of the outer column is tightened by one distance bracket, and the outer circumference of the inner column is tightened by the other distance bracket. Therefore, only one side of the outer circumference of the inner column is tightened, and thus the tightening force is unbalanced on the left and right. Also, since the two distance brackets are rotatably supported by pins, the structures of the distance brackets are complicated, and the manufacturing cost increases.
In a steering apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 3, an inner column is directly clamped by a pressing piece supported to be slidable at a distance bracket. Since the steering apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 3 tightens only one side of the outer circumference of the inner column by one pressing piece, the balance between the left and right of the tightening force is bad. Also, since the pressing piece which is a component separate from the distance bracket is supported to be slidable at the distance bracket, the structure is complicated and the manufacturing cost increases.